


The Quarterback and the Science Geek

by aceofhearts88



Series: High School AU [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, First Kiss, High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2016-06-23
Packaged: 2018-07-16 19:57:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7282558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aceofhearts88/pseuds/aceofhearts88
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It all happened during one long weekend more or less. First date, first kiss. And both of them cannot believe they waited so long.</p><p>--</p><p>Prequel to the SamSteve Oneshot in this Series, this is how T'Chucky came to be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Quarterback and the Science Geek

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HyperRaspberry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HyperRaspberry/gifts), [MoonIsNeverAlone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonIsNeverAlone/gifts).
  * Translation into 한국어 available: [쿼터백과 과학덕후](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13723938) by [Dummy_pilgrim](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dummy_pilgrim/pseuds/Dummy_pilgrim)



It happened two weeks before the end of sophomore year, Bucky had been on his way back from an interview for a summer internship at an engineering facility in upstate New York. It had been a little later than he had planned, but he had called his mother and assured her that he would be home before it got dark, and she hadn't worried about him. He was responsible, on time, didn't push over the limits she had set for her only son, her oldest.

He chose the train instead of the bus, wanted to get home quicker instead of sparing some money, he never thought back on it as false choices, never regretted, never asked himself what if. 

The man who pushed him was drunk, but not out of it enough to stop sluring his hard vile homophobic bullshit. Bucky blacked out when his head hit the rails right below where he had until a second ago been standing on the platform, already happy about hearing the train approach.

He woke up in the hospital a week later, to the ashen face of his mother, the red bitten lips of Sarah Rogers and the tears on Steve's face. And no left arm.

In the following months everyone seemed to expect him to give up, to fall into depression, to become suicidal, he could see it in their faces, how their eyes followed him around town. Waiting for a breakdown, but he only broke once, only dropped himself into self pity once, that third night after being released from the hospital, watching movies in his bedroom with Steve and Clint, and midway in he had just started sobbing.

But never again.

He pushed on, looked ahead, didn't let his disability stop him from getting exactly what he wanted, his life back. 

\--

His first day back at school came way earlier than even his mother had expected but Bucky had pushed and argued until she was convinced. So there he was, standing at the bottom of the front door steps with his backpack over one shoulder, staring at still closed doors as if they could attack any second, four weeks into the start of Junior Year. Clint and Steve on either side of him, waiting patiently and quiet.

"Natasha has not coralled and threatened everyone to throw confetti at me, right? I told you guys I will kill you if you didn't stop her." He said after a moment and glanced first to Steve who snorted and rolled his eyes at him and then over to Clint who was definitely more on the side of letting Natasha run with everything.  
"I swear I did!" Clint protested immediately, blue eyes round and innocent and lips pouting, never treating him any different than he had before, "I told her to not do something stupid. Reminded her at least fifteen times that you like to fly under the radar and still be liked by everyone."

Bucky huffed and turned back to stare at the door, they were super early still, unusual for them maybe but Bucky had wanted to not storm in at the last minute again and get immediately confronted by loud corridors and people shoving left and right.  
"You okay?" Steve asked and nudged his hip slightly against Bucky's, and Bucky nodded, pushing all those nagging nervous thoughts to the back of his head, walked up the stairs and pushed open the right door with one hand.

It wasn't like being nervous and feeling insecure was really a new emotion when it came to school, Bucky was known as a sarcastic little shit, but also as a usually more reserved shy Science Club Kid who smiled much but didn't talk big or loud. Clint and Steve filled that part in their group, got along with everyone nearly, because they were outgoing and funny, Natasha was the one with the ego and the snark. Bucky liked to watch people, observe from the side, and he really hoped he could go back to that.

Insecurities were a part of him, he learned from then and let them guide him along but never control him. 

And a missing arm wouldn't change that, wouldn't change him.

"Will you stand there until second period or move your damn asses?" He yelled over his shoulder as he was already down the entrance hall, and he grinned when Clint and Steve cursed and then thundered over the ground as they raced after him. Taking a good breath, Bucky turned right to get to the main corridor and his locker.

People smiled at him, waved at him, welcomed him back.

And Bucky felt some of his last remaining tension float away as he approached his locker, only a little surprised that Natasha wasn't leaning against it or generally being anywhere in sight close by. An occurence that was quickly explained when he hit in the combination for his locker and then pulled it open, only to get a face full of white confetti.

Steve caught him when he stumbled backwards and Clint appeared in front of with already raised hands, Bucky snarled at him and then just started laughing as the crowd around them cheered.

Well, welcome back in high school, Barnes.

\--

T'Challa had known Bucky Barnes his whole life already in a way, they had grown up in the same small town, went to kindergarten together, went to the same summer camps together as kids until T'Challa chose sports and Barnes went for science. They had gone to middle school together, started high school together, had classes together now.

But they weren't friends.

Their paths had never crossed close enough to become friendly with one another. They were classmates, worked on projects together if the teacher assigned them, saw each other sometimes after school because their little sisters were friends.

It didn't mean though that T'Challa hadn't wanted to change that fact between them, Barnes was a smart kid, quick mind, sharp tongue, if he let it show over the shyness and quietness that usually surrounded him. He wasn't insecure or anxious, didn't get nervous too easily, T'Challa certainly watched him from a distance long enough to know that. The boy was sharp, he just liked to remain in the background, liked to observe.

It wasn't until Sam poked his head in the right direction a little, big fat grin on his face and teasing words already dancing on his lips that T'Challa realized he was probably crushing a little too hard on Bucky Barnes to call it just interest. And that had been in the middle of sophomore year. Sam had encouraged him to go and talk to their fellow student, but T'Challa had hesitated, he was in the spotlight. In school, outside of it in their hometown, the quarterback, the mayor's son, his life wasn't quiet, people paid attention to him left and right, everywhere he went. He hadn't been sure if he wanted to do that to Bucky, drag him out from where he was comfortable, so he hadn't.

He heard about the accident from Shuri when he came home from being out all weekend with Sam, his little sister had opened the door for him and flung himself into his arms, crying into his neck about trains and Bucky and hospitals immediately. T'Challa had tried to shush her, carried her inside and closed to door, only to come to a complete stand still when he stepped into the living room and found his step-mother holding a horribly crying Becca Barnes. 

His father had cleared things up, told him about the man who had pushed Bucky Barnes onto the rails yesterday just as the train had rolled into the station. Bucky had still been hanging between life and death at that point, and going back to school on Monday had been hell. Becca Barnes was staying with them until Bucky's mother dared to leave her son's side, and he had staid up half the night to talk both his sister and Becca out of nightmares.

He could still remember who everyone had school had been tense, jumping at every sound, they were a small community, everybody knew everyone and though Bucky hadn't been popular, he was still liked. Rogers and Barton weren't at school at all in the few days it took until they finally got good news about Bucky, Romanov had been in and out, looking threatening enough that no one dared to approach her.

Five days after the accident, it was her though who brought news to school that Bucky would make a full recovery in given time, except for the arm he had lost. 

T'Challa found himself wondering often over the summer how Bucky was doing, if he was struggling, if he was depressed, frustrated, if he thought about given up. They had no friends in common, two circles almost fully independent of another, except for the little sister card. So T'Challa approached Becca one time while she was over for a playdate with Shuri, asked her as casually as he hoped it to sound how her brother was doing. 

And Becca positively exploded with light, told him how great Bucky was doing, how impressed the doctors were with his recovery, how he was already so good in getting around with only one arm, that he trained to get his muscles back by tickling her and picking her up. And she told him that he was still her absolute hero.

He had laughed, thrown a glance at his own sister who had rolled her eyes but leaned up to kiss his cheek, but kept her mouth firmly shut. T'Challa had snorted and retaliated by tickling her until Shuri had yelled for Becca and their cousins to help her.

\--

When he saw Bucky back at school then today, saw him laugh while Barton and Rogers picked confetti out of his hair, it hit him like a punch to the gut that his crush was stronger than ever before, like a burning fire in the pit of his stomach. 

Bucky was a fighter, and T'Challa was head over heels.

So happy to see him happy and light, joking with his friends and shoving at them when they quipped back at him, the missing arm didn't seem to bother him in the slightest, especially not when Romanov turned up with her grinning smirks and he chased after her for stuffing his locker with confetti.

He might have been a little too caught up in his daydreaming though, because when they walked towards their first class, Sam snorted and suddenly looked so pissed off that T'Challa felt like ice had been dumped over his head, sobering him up and asking his best friend what the problem was. Sam looked at him for a moment and then blinked, completely shocked, "Can't you see how they look at him? What they whisper behind his back?" And Sam pulled him around until he could see the group of Seniors huddling close together, whispering and chuckling, poiting fingers and nodding towards Bucky and Romanov still arguing by her locker.

"They are making bets over whether or not he will snap if he falls and someone asks him if he needs help getting back up? Who does that?" Sam hissed and T'Challa felt sick, "I'm gonna ask someone who fell if they need help getting back up no matter if they have one arm, both arms or no arms."  
"You're a decent person." T'Challa spoke up and send a withering glare over to the older students, nudging Sam to start walking again, "They're just idiots."

"They should be in awe over the fight Barnes had behind himself, none of their sickly little weak minds would have gotten through that. Pathetic assholes." Sam muttered and T'Challa agreed with him, but kept his own opinion to himself, there was no point in getting worked up, that was exactly what those bastards would want.

But when Bucky came into class, not smiling anymore and looking a little knocked down in his joy over being back, T'Challa wrecked his head for a small gesture that wouldn't freak him out too much but still put a smile back on his face.

\--

"Hey, handsome."

Steve had to grab his arm to keep Bucky from stumbling blindly into the door when T'Challa passed by them on their way out of the classroom after second period, and both of them gaped after him as he vanished down the corridor, smiling. Bucky blinked and then blinked some more and looked at his oldest friend, but Steve was still staring after their school's quarterback.

"What just happened?" Bucky whispered and slowly began to walk again, Steve stumbling into step with him, "What the fuck just happened?"  
"The hottest guy in the whole freaking school just called you handsome." Steve recalled the moment for him and Bucky gave a small squeak.

Then frowned and shoved Steve in the side when his friend started laughing over his reaction.

Fucking hell.

T'Challa had called him handsome.

Oh god.

He had been crushing on T'Challa since middle school, had been rather obsessed with him for a while until his brain had restarted itself at the start of freshman year. But how would someone like T'Challa, the fucking quarterback who could have everyone, how would he even notice Bucky...the nerdy little science geek.

He was so popular, people loved him, their whole town loved him.

Bucky had spend so much time, even in freshman year still, ribbing Becca over stupid little information over her best friend's big brother. He had been so crazy over him, admired his talents, his skills, the way speaking and leading came so easy to him. How easy it was for him to hold himself open during a presentation, to not stumble over words, but look inviting and friendly and make him the dullest topic interesting.

And now he had called him handsome and Bucky felt his whole body tingle with something really really warm and pleasant.

\--

His lifted mood didn't hold for long when confronted with the whispers and stares again as he changed his books for the next block of classes at his locker.

And despite Steve's glare at the other students and his gentle well meant comfort, Bucky fell into a little funk.

What a great fucking first day it had turned into.

And next up was Politics.

With his least favourite teacher, Mister Pierce.

And right in front of the classroom, Rumlow and Zemo hurried and shouldered their way past him so close that he was lost his equilibrium for a second and crashed against the wall.

\--

Bucky muttered angrily as he slumped into his seat in class, slammed his backpack on the table and snarled at Clint as he opened his mouth to ask. He pulled out notebook and pen and the shoved his bag right off the table again, narrowly missing Natasha's feet as she slid into her seat on his other side.

"Buck..." She started quietly but he wrenched his head to the side and glared at her, he didn't want to hear it, didn't want to think about it, "Listen, I know they all treat you with kid gloves, but..." He slammed his hand down on the table and half the classroom jumped, but Natasha at least kept her mouth shut and turned to get out her own notebook.

Bucky lost himself in scribbling along own some paper, making some hasty drawings for the things he wanted to show Stark later. He had had so much down time, his head had been buzzing with project ideas, he couldn't wait for Science club. If only the others would stop glancing at him and waiting for him to stumble, fall or do something else that resulted in them being able to laugh at him.

He heard, rather than saw, how T'Challa and Wilson came into class, their booming laughter was familiar, but he still didn't look up. Until the piece of ripped off paper landed on his desk, folded twice, and the frown on his face and glower in his eyes vanished. Bucky snapped up his head and stared up at T'Challa how the taller boy walked by him, hand brushing his shoulder before he got into his seat right behind Bucky.

For a second he was frozen, feeling Nat's and Clint's eyes on himself, but then he snapped his hand forward as Clint lunged over his desk. Bucky glared at him and kept the paper pressed to his chest until Clint huffed, pouted and slumped back into his chair, only then did he unfold it and read it.

'Don't let the morons bring you down. You're still as great as ever, if not even more now. I'm really happy to see you again. Keep your head up. Welcome back Bucky.'

He didn't turn around, was way too shy and horrified over embarassing himself, but he folded the paper again with careful fingers and then slid it into his pockets, deep into it. And hoped Natasha wouldn't be bold enough to stick her hand nearly down his pants to satisfy her curiosity. Just as Mister Pierce walked in and over to her desk, he quickly ripped a part of paper from the back of his notebook, wrote a 'Thank you' and held it out behind himself, praying T'Challa would see.

He did. Warm fingers stroked over his own for a second and then tugged the paper out of them, Bucky snapped his hand back into his lap, staring down at them, still feeling the tingling sensation in his fingertips. 

Wow.

\--

A few days later, Bucky cursed when the backpack slipped off his shoulder again when he opened his locker and then cursed under his breath once more when two of his notebooks not only threatened to fall out but actually did fall out of his half open bag. But they never reached the ground, because as he was still staring at them fall, two quick hands snapped out and caught them before they could have hit the ground and with Bucky's luck land in one of the puddles left behind by rain soaked shoes.

It took an awfully long ten seconds until he raised his eyes from those broad but so soft looking hands up to his savior's face. T'Challa smiled at him, standing right next to him, looking at him, patiently waiting for Bucky to check back into his own brain.

"Thank you." He said after another minute of staring at T'Challa's face in a complete daze and holy fucking shit, get your damn head together, Bucky, he scolded himself on the inside and cleared his throat loudly, "Thanks, really. You just saved weeks of project drawings."  
"Really happy over fast reflexes then." T'Challa smiled at him and Bucky nearly fainted upon the sight and holy fucking shit, he was talking to him. The hottest guy in school was talking to him. 

Him. The one-armed Science Nerd with no father.

"Hey, you okay?" T'Challa wanted to know, little concern showing through his smile and Bucky realized that he must have been staring too long.  
"Yeah, yeah, I'm good." He rambled and then cleared his throat, "Ehm, you can set them in my locker if you want?" He formulated it as a question for some reason and pointed at the notebooks T'Challa was still holding.

He chuckled and set them down right next to the two physics books before he threw in the code in the locker right next to Bucky's. And Bucky's brain reminded him in a very happy voice that T'Challa had had his locker right next to his since the very beginning of them starting high school, he just must have forgotten that in the last weeks.

He busied himself with sorting through his backpack and closing it properly again for a few minutes while T'Challa pulled his gym bag out and then set his own backpack into his locker that was so neat and in such an order that Bucky was terribly jealous. His locker was a mess, full of scribbled notes that Clint and Natasha liked to drop in with little messages and jokes. 

"Say, you got any plans for this Friday?" T'Challa spoke up again and Bucky almost dropped his backpack onto his feet, snapping his head up again so fast he got dizzy for a second, "Going to the game?" Bucky's mouth dropped open and he scrambled his brain cells together for an answer.  
"Maybe? I...I wasn't really planning on going. My friends will be busy with cheerleading and I could honestly do without a whole afternoon of people whispering behind my back while I am trying to have fun." He explained quietly and T'Challa's face fell a little.

"And if someone asked you to the game? Would that change your opinion?"

Bucky was sure that everything around him had stopped for a whole minute as he stared up at T'Challa gentle smile and those warm brown eyes.

"Are you....are you...did you just....?" He stuttered and felt his entire face turn deep red when T'Challa chuckled and used a hand to drag through his short hair.  
"Am I asking you to the game? Yeah, I am, but apparently I'm making a very bad job of it. Let me try again. Do you want to come to my game, Bucky and get some pizza after? As in a date? I would really love to see you up in the stands." T'Challa's words were crystal clear, no misunderstanding possible.

"Yes." Bucky replied before his head had even fully come online again, "Yes, of course, totally."

Totally?! Who the fuck still said totally??

You are the worst, Barnes, the worst.

But T'Challa grinned, happy and looking like pure sunshine and Bucky felt his knees go weak a little, his heart was beating like crazy in his chest, stomach nearly combusting with butterflies.  
"That's great. Can I give you my number, so I can text you a time? I could pick you up, bring you home after, so you don't have to take the bus." Bucky dropped his backpack the second those words fell from T'Challa's lips and rushed to get his phone out of his pants, stupid skinny jeans.

He watched in utter trance how T'Challa saved his number in his phone and then handed it back to him, and used two fingers to stroke a wild strand of hair out of Bucky's face, pushing it gently behind his ear. 

"I gotta go now. Have fun with your projects." T'Challa said in the next moment while Bucky still wondered what breathing was, looking over his shoulder and Bucky followed his gaze as he looked over his shoulder himself. He found Sam Wilson patiently leaning against a wall at the end of the corridor, smiling friendly, fingers of one hand tapping away on his thigh, "See you on Friday?"

"Yeah...yeah, see you on Friday."

\--

Bucky shoved his backpack into the locker as he watched T'Challa catch up with Wilson at the end of the corridor before they vanished towards the locker rooms. Still stuck in a mental freak out, Bucky grabbed his notebooks and then slammed his locker shut before sliding around groups of students making plans for the afternoon.

Once he had stepped into the lab for the science club, he kicked the door shut and leaned back against it, hand pressing the notebooks to his chest.  
"You okay there, Bucky?" Mister Stark where he had been leaning in the door to the bio-hazard lab off to the side but had stepped into the main lab and half closed the door behind himself, Bucky could see Bruce leaning over a table in the other room but otherwise he was the only other student.

He wondered how he looked like to have Stark come closer with careful steps and a concerned frown on his face. Afraid? Frazzled? Totally and utterly freaked out of his damn mind? Dazed? 

T'Challa had asked him out. Holy Shit. T'Challa had asked him out and he had said yes.

He was going on a date with T'Challa.

Stark reached him and put a hand on his shoulder, gently guided him over to the workspace that had been Bucky's since freshman year. Bucky set his notebooks down on the table and flopped down on the chair and it jolted his head back into working.  
"Fucking hell." He said and then snapped his eyes up to look at Stark, or Tony as he had drilled into their heads when they were down here for the science club, but Tony rolled his eyes over his language and raised an eyebrow, "Do you know anything about football, Tony?"

"You did not seriously just ask me that?" Tony shot back at him and sat down on the edge of Bucky's table while he quickly busied himself by opening one of his notebooks and scrolling through the latest ideas. Of course Tony would know about football, Tony was freaking married to the football coach of your damn school, Bucky, "Since when are you interested in football though? I got the cheerleading interest, your buddies are all in it, but football? Someone caught your eye?"

Bucky was aware that he blushed scarlet and quickly ducked his head, grabbing a pencil from the box on the table and scribbled something under one of his project blueprints. The science club was a sanctuary for him, Tony had been a more than just welcome blessing. His favourite teacher and mentor had welcomed him back with a clap to the back and a wide grin and a promise that within these walls nothing would change.

And he had been right for the most part. Bucky needed more help now, but he wasn't too stubborn to ask, didn't feel ashamed when he needed Tony to hold something still because he couldn't. And Tony had been the only teacher who had made a real effort in adapting to Bucky's changed state and helping him adapt as well without putting him on the sidelines and letting him just watch.

Like his PE teacher. Who had despite Bucky's doctor's urging him on to be physically active decided that Bucky would not need to partake in class anymore. Until Tony had talked to Coach Rhodes who in turn had according to rumors given Mister Schmidt more than just an earful in front of a class of juniors. Bucky still had to find an opportunity to thank him for that.

"I have a date. To the game, kinda." He mumbled to his table top and Tony cheered, causing Bucky's ears to burn, one hand coming up to push some of his hair back. Up until this morning he had been already half convinced by Natasha's constant whining to go and cut it again finally, but now? Now as his fingers pushed a strand of hair behind his ear and he could still feel the ghost of T'Challa's fingers as he had done the same, he decided that no scissors would touch this hair for now. 

"You go, Bucky. Someone on the team? Hence the 'kinda'?" Tony asked and Bucky nodded, dreamily pulling some blueprint paper of the first drawer, "If you don't wanna say names, it's fine, old people like me don't..." But Bucky snorted and looked up at him.  
"It's T'Challa." And Tony whistled, loud and long and Bucky couldn't help it anymore, he threw his head back and started laughing, and if a little hysterically in the beginning but quickly changing into pure amusement over the dramatically widened eyes of his teacher.

"The Quarterback! Bucky Barnes, my my my, there is still a charmer in you, that's good." Tony chuckled and then got back to his feet, "Make sure that boy treats you right!" And Bucky laughed louder still, "Okay then." Tony pulled down one of the blackboards, "Football 101, just for you, kid."

\--

"So..." Sam drawled and T'Challa mentally counted to ten before looking over to his best friend as they got ready for training, in the middle of the boys' locker room, surrounded by their loud and noisy boisterous teammates. Apparently that seemed to be the perfect moment to bring up T'Challa's private life, "You finally asked Barnes out?"

"Yeah, I did." T'Challa answered him and then rolled his eyes when he came face to face with several curious pairs of eyes once he had taken off his shirt and could see again, "What?" He wanted to know and aside from Sam, everyone hurried to mind their own business again.  
"Barnes is fucking great, man, don't fuck that up. Cute guy like him? With that pretty face, amazing brain and snappy tongue? Jackpot, Chall, if these neantherthals wouldn't be so pretentious and such assholes, there would be more people after a guy like him." Sam chuckled and then ducked when T'Challa threw a shoe in his direction.

"Fuck off, man!" He warned, but more to annoy Sam right back and not because he really felt attacked. Sam was his best friend, he knew how long T'Challa had been crushing on Bucky Barnes.  
"Invited him to the game, haven't you?" Sam continued with that big smile of his, "Want him to see you sweat first, huh? Fucking smooth, man."

"Oh shut up, Sammy." He complained but smiled, pulling on his football jersey and bending down to tie up his shoes. Sam snorted and then was quiet for a moment while he got dressed himself.  
"I'm just saying, you're real damn lucky. Make it count!" Sam told him with a grin and then waited until the rest of their team had shuffled out to the field before he approached T'Challa who replied one last time to the messages on his phone, little sisters and cousins could be annoying.

"And maybe throw in a good word for me?" Sam smiled, batting his eyes all innocent and T'Challa deadpanned at him, before rolling his eyes and striding from the locker room. Sam hunted after him, "Hey, now, I'm your best bud. Best friends forever, Chall. I'm not going to be the awkward third wheel while Barnes and you get all lovey dovey with each other."

"Who said you're coming with us anywhere?" T'Challa called over his shoulder and held the door long enough for Sam to grasp it before moving in, "And if you want Rogers, get the guy yourself."

\--

The game was wonderful, their school won epically and at least for Bucky it looked like everyone on the team had done a good job, but what did he know. With Natasha out of town for her dance competition, Steve and Clint had shouldered the head cheerleader job together and were busy with cleaning up after their performances, so Bucky waited alone outside the school entrance.

Watched how some football players walked and drove off with their girlfriends, some of them girls from the cheerleader squad, like in the movies, he mused and leaned back against the tree planted right next to the bus stop. Lost in daydreams until two fingers softly tapped against his cheek.

He startled but calmed quickly when he found Tchalla smiling at him.

"Ready to get out of here?"

Bucky needed a moment to collect enough brain to breathe out a "yeah", T'Challa was visibly freshly showered, hair still wet, smelling fruity somewhow.

\--

They talked as they drove into town and then as they waited for their food to arrive, and laughed and smiled and Bucky felt like he was dreaming. They talked about their sisters for a while, because it felt safe and they both loved both young girls, but somehow that topic then turned into T'Challa casually bringing up that despite their sisters' closeness, they had never crossed paths.

Their food came and as they ate, the last remaining nervousness evaporated and they could relax, talked about their friends and school. Bucky even found himself talking about the summer, about how difficult it had sometimes be to push on while his mother had treated him so delicately. It was easy to talk to T'Challa, easy to laugh about his jokes and smile back at his smiles. 

He was so loosened up with fun that it felt like planned when he admitted his crush on T'Challa about halfway into their dinner, weird topic but it made the other boy grin so Bucky went on, "I was really crazy into you, all with scribbling hearts into my notebook and asking Becca about you." And T'Challa chuckled, looked down at his almost empty plate for a moment and then back up to look at Bucky with his warm gentle eyes.

"You talk like it's an impossibility." He said quietly and Bucky felt his heart stop for just a split second, staring at him.  
"Yeah...I mean...you are...you and I'm..." He stuttered like an idiot and then grabbed his coke to keep his mouth from blabbing out more stupid stuff.  
"You're a great guy. And well, I have the feeling now that you're not gonna believe me, but..." and T'Challa reached for his hand across the table, stroked two fingers over Bucky's knuckles. Once. Twice. "I'm quite crazy over you, too. Have been for a while."

They got lost in each other's eyes for a long time, and Bucky felt himself blush when T'Challa smiled at him, intertwining their fingers on the table and hooking a foot around his ankle under it.

\--

T'Challa drove him home, and then they sat in his car for a little while, on the driveway of Bucky's home, talking and looking at the lighted porch while the rest of the house laid dark already. Bucky's Mom and Becca gone to bed already, not waiting for him, trusting him to make it home alright, just like Bucky had asked her to.

His hand had been playing absentmindedly with T'Challa's right one on his thigh for a while now, but both of them only got aware of it and looked down at their almost intertwined hands when their conversation came to a pause. And T'Challa smiled, wrapped their hands together for good and squeezed gently.

"I could say all the cheesy lines, but I think I'll spare myself that one. I really had fun tonight, Bucky." T'Challa whispered and Bucky grinned up at him, his heart beating so quickly in his chest when T'Challa moved to cup his face in one warm broad palm, "I'm moving too fast, ain't I? I just feel like I have been waiting for this so long...and to know now that you felt the same..."

"You're not moving too fast." Bucky took those words right out of the line of fire, shifting closer to him still, "You're really not moving too fast." He assured him once more, blue eyes burning into his, only to fall shut in the next second when T'Challa leaned in and kissed him. And it was everything, fireworks exploding, songs in his ears and stars behind his eyes. 

Bucky kissed back, full of wonder and T'Challa moved his hand to the back of his head, curled his fingers into brunet hair, keeping his other hand still clasped tightly around Bucky's between their bodies. They broke apart with quiet gasps, leaning their foreheads against each other for a long moment, keeping their eyes closed.

"So, just dating for a start is not really our thing, huh?" T'Challa chuckled after another minute and Bucky laughed, dropped his face against his shoulder.  
"You got a problem with that?" He mumbled against T'Challa's shirt and T'Challa let go of his hand and curled both arms around him, holding him.  
"Hell no." He answered and Bucky drew back, just enough to kiss him again, "So I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah." Bucky agreed, smiling so happily when they pulled apart so that Bucky could open the car door, "Goodnight, Chall."

"Goodnight, Bucky."

\--


End file.
